Detent diverter

ABSTRACT

A diverter for use in directing &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;pumpdown&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; or through-flowline (TFL) tools through wye-branched flow passageways located on submerged wellheads. A paddle is hinged to a shaft at the junction of the wye-branched flow passageways for diverting flow through one or the other of the passageways. A notched cam attached to the shaft engages a detent spring when the paddle is positioned to block flow through either of the flow passageway branches. Various notched cam-detent spring arrangements are described.

[451 Feb. 18, 1975 United States Patent f Weber et al.

3,139,932 7/1964 Johnson 16S/.5

[54] DETENT DIVERTER L m W S3 N1. m m T W A m W m Lm P P m A R Tm NC E G T. mm N H flu .l m Om F 3. 0 l 4 Inventors: Ronald A. Weber, Ojai; John K.

Rains, Ventura, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Exxon-Production Research Company, Houston, Tex.

June 14, 1973 [2l] Appl. No.: 370,063

Primary Examiner-Henry T. Klinksiek Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John S. Schneider [22] Filed:

ABSTRACT DETENT DIVERTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention concerns diverters for directing the flow of tools used in conducting various operations on remotely located oil and/r gas wells, particularly those located subsea.

2. Description of the Prior Art In performing completion and workover operations in subsea wells tools are moved hydraulically into and out of the well tubings through large radius flowline loops mounted on the submerged wellheads. Each well tubing is provided with Wye-branched flow passageways to permit the conduct of operations either through a vertical conduit or through the loops. However, provision must be made for directing flow of the tools through the particular flow passageways. One type of TFL tool diverter designed to so direct passage of the TFL tools is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,932, entitled Wellhead With Tool Diverter by Glenn D. Johnson and in a paper by Drouin and Fowler entitled Diverters For TFL Tools, presented at the ASME Petroleum Mechanical Engineering Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma, September, 1969. The diverter of the invention described and claimed herein is an improvement in that type diverter. The diverter described in the aforementioned patent and publication uses a compression spring to urge an indexing wedge into indexing notches. When the wedges are in the notches the blocking paddle is latched in one of its two positions.

The diverter of the'present invention employs a different spring-notch arrangement for latching the blocking paddle in each of its two positions. Grooves or notches on the end of a long cam bar engage a detent spring to latch the paddle in its diverting or blocking positions. The long moment arm of the cam increases the relative holding force of the spring. In addition, this arrangement permits the use of multiple springs to improve reliability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the teachings of the present invention a paddle pivots on a rotatable shaft at the junction of branched passageways formed in a wye pattern for diverting flow through either of the branched passageways. The paddle is shaped to maintain the sizes of the passageways. A shaft is nonrotatably connectd to the paddle. A cam bar is attached to the shaft and has two grooves thereon and is rotatable upon rotation of the shaft. Detent spring means engages one `of the grooves when the paddle is in one position to divert flow through one of the branched passageways and engages the other of said grooves when the paddle is in its other position to divert flow through the other branched passageway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a Wye-branched conduit having a diverter paddle arranged at the junction of the passageways;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 illustrating a modified latching arrangement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS There is shown in FIGS. 1-4 a wye section or diverter body 8 having a vertical bore or passageway 9 and a curved bore or passageway 10 which bore forms a smooth internal transition to the loop section as indicated at 1l. A diverter paddle 12 is shaped to conform to curved bore l0 on one side, as indicated at 13, and to vertical bore 9 on the other side, as indicated at 14. As seen more clearly in FIG. 3 paddle 12 is shaped on one side to have the same internal diameter as the diameter of bore 10 as indicated by radius R10 and on the other side it is shaped to have the same internal diameter as the diameter of bore 9 as indicated by radius R9. The free end 12a of paddle 12 is tapered as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to contact the inner wall of bore 10 in one position or the inner wall of bore 9 in its other position. Paddle 12 is nonrotatably mounted on a shaft 15 which serves as the axis of rotation for the paddle. As seen in FIG. 4 shaft 15 is mounted for rotation in bearings 16 and extends from its hub 17 connection to paddle 12 to a recessed portion 18 of'body 8 where it is connected to a cam bar 19 by means of nut 15a. Suitable bearing seals, not shown, may be provided to prevent fluid from passing from the bores or passageways into recess 18.

FIGS. 2 and 4 clearly show the diverter paddle latch. Cam bar 19 has two grooves or notches 20 at each end thereof. Detent springs 21 are attached to diverter body 8 in recess 18 and engage notches 20 when paddle 12 is in each of its two positions. A shim 22 may be arranged in recess 18 adjacent spring 21 to adjust the amount of force necessary to move the cam bar from one of its latched positions. When spring 2l engages one of the notches 20 paddle 12 is held in that latched position. At the same time a rotating moment is provided to cam bar 19 to urge paddle 12 against the curved (or vertical) bore wall of diverter body 8. The use of two springs 21, one at each end of cam bar 19, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is preferred to provide redundancy and additional holding force. However, the diverter will operate satisfactorily using only one spring positioned at either end. Although not shown the diverter would also operate in a satisfactory manner using only one notch at each end of cam bar 19 and two springs 21 at each end for engaging the notches.

Another arrangement of the latching mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 5. There is shown a cam member 23 which has four arms 24 arranged in a Wye body 8a. Each arm has two notches 25 on the end thereof for engagement with a spring 21, not shown. Another arrangement, not shown, is a disc having a number of pairs of notches on the periphery thereof and each pair of notches is associated with one detent spring. In any of the various latching embodiments and arrangements of springs and notches each spring is strong enough by itself to enable proper functioning of the diverter paddle 12. A suitable cap or cover plate 26 as seen in FIG. 2, closes recess 18 in body member 8. Cap 26 may be welded, as shown, or bolted to body 8. If bolted, a suitable seal would be provided.

Paddle l2 is operated by TFL tools pumped through vertical bore 9. When TFL tools are pumped downwardly through vertical run 9 paddle 12 is pushed into position which allows vertical passage of the TFL tools as illustrated in FIG. l. A well tool 30 is shown being pumped upwardly through the vertical bore 9 of body 8. Paddle 12 will remain in the position for vertical passage of tools until pumpdown tools enter the well tubing from the loop side of the diverter body 8 through curved bore 10. The entering tools will push paddle l2 to the position shown by dotted lines in FIG. l where it is held by detent springs 2l until vertical entry downwardly through bore 9 is again accomplished.

Paddle l2 is shaped to maintain the tube (passageway) sizes. Some pumpdown tools would come unlatched in an enlarged bore. Also, in some pumpdown perforator guns bore enlargement is utilized to trigger the firing mechanism.

Changes and modifications may be made in the specific illustrative embodiments of the invention shown and/or described herein without departing from the vscope of the invention as defined in the appended a shaft nonrotatably connected to said paddle; y

a cam bar having at least one arm;

said arm being nonrotatably attached to said shaft along the length thereof and having a relatively long moment and a pair of grooves formed at each end thereof, each groove having a similar curvature; and

detent bow spring means attached to said diverter body engaging one of said grooves when said paddle is in one of its diverting positionsand engaging said other groove when said paddle is in its other diverting position.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim l in which said spring means comprises one bow spring arranged at each end of said arm.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said passageways are curved and each side of said paddle is similarly curved so as to maintain the contours of said passageways in either blocking position of said paddle.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said spring means comprises two bow springs arranged on each end of said arm.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said shaft is attached to the center of said arm.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said cam bar includes two crossed arms attached to said shaft at about the center thereof, each arm being about the same length and each having a relatively long moment. =l l 

1. Apparatus for diverting flow from one conduit into one of two other conduits comprising: a diverter body member having branched passageways; a paddle arranged at the junction of said branched passagewayss and movable from one position in which flow through one of said passageways is blocked to another position where flow through said other passageway is blocked and vice versa; a shaft nonrotatably connected to said paddle; a cam bar having at least one arm; said arm being nonrotatably attached to said shaft along the length thereof and having a relatively long moment and a pair of grooves formed at each end thereof, each groove having a similar curvature; and detent bow spring means attached to said diverter body engaging one of said grooves when said paddle is in one of its diverting positions and engaging said other groove when said paddle is in its other diverting position.
 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said spring means comprises one bow spring arranged at each end of said arm.
 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said passageways are curved and each side of said paddle is similarly curved so as to maintain the contours of said passageways in either blocking position of said paddle.
 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said spring means comprises two bow springs arranged on each end of said arm.
 5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said shaft is attached to the center of said arm.
 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said cam bar includes two crossed arms attached to said shaft at about the center thereof, each arm being about the same length and each having a relatively long moment. 